Cleveland kidnap survivor confronts Castro

For the first time, Michelle Knight confronted the man who held her captive for 11 years, telling Ariel Castro she spent more than a decade in hell, and now “your hell is just beginning.” Castro was sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus 1,000 years. NBC’s Kate Snow reports.

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This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>>good evening. as it unfolded in court today, in cleveland, ohio, a
live television
audience was allowed to see a man who has arguably the face of mental illness. a man described as a monster. who for a decade held
young women
prisoners in his home. and during his long and rambling remarks in court, he said he was sick and he appropriated the language of the addiction treatment culture to paint himself as a victim. as he tried to contend the girls he kept chained up in his home were some how content. it was tough to watch at times especially when one of his brave victims spoke. now he will live out his remaining days
behind bars
as part of a plea deal. it is where we begin to night. nbc's
kate snow
is there live for us this evening. kate, good evening.

>> reporter: good evening to you, brian. the women that he held in that house for over ten years all kept diaries which helped prosecutors lay out the case against
arielcastro
. today, the methodically went through the evidence all the crimes that
arielcastro
has admitted to and survivors had a chance to speak.
amanda
berry, gina dejesus chose to speak through family members, but
michelle
knight was there in person.

>> reporter: just writing the word,
michelle
knight said had given her strength.

>>i cried every night. i was so alone.

>> reporter: the strength to fight back tears and describe 11 horrific years.

>>days never got shorter. days turned into nights. nights turned into days. years turned
into eternity
. i knew --

>> reporter: the strength to confront
arielcastro
for the first time since she escaped her prison.

>>arielcastro
you took 11 years of my life away. i got it back. i spent 11 years in hell. now your hell is just beginning.

>> reporter: witnesses described how
michelle
knight was abducted in
2002
.
castro
promised a puppy for her young son if she would come inside his home. for the first time we saw what it looked like, bed rooms with toys and
musical instruments
. but with 99 feet of heavy iron chains strung through the walls to hold the women in place. windows nailed shut. and a crude alarm system on the doors. their only bathrooms plastic toilets, rarely emptied. they were fed just one meal a day.

>>they were deprived of mother, of family, of home, of school of ten years in which you make your transition from being a
young woman
to being a woman.

>> reporter: but then came may 6, this year, the 6-year-old girl
castro
fathered with
amanda
berry was running of and down the stairs this detective said, shouting daddy left and went to grandma's house.
amanda
berry saw her chance to escape. one of the first officers on scene described discovering
michelle
knight still inside hiding behind a curtain.

>>she literally launched herself into the officer's arms. her arms choking him and just kept repeating you saved us. you saved us.

>> reporter: when it was
arielcastro
's turn to speak, traditionally afforded to any defendant at a sentencing he ramble ford
16:13
.

>>i am not a monster. i did not pray on these women.

>> reporter: he blamed everyone but himself, even his victims and referred to harmony in the home. the judge was incredulous.

>>in your mind there was harmony and a happy household. i'm not sure there was any body in america that will agree with you.

>> reporter: then the sentencing began. life without parole plus 1,000 years.

>>you will be confined for the remainder of your dates. judge michael russo said he hoped the sentence gave the victims some peace.

>>after 11 years, i am finally being heard and it's liberating.

>> reporter: amanda
berry's sister said she craves privacy. gina dejesus's aunt said she plans to go to
high school
, go to college and fall in love one day. on her way out of the court she looked at
arielcastro
and said in spanish, may god rest your soul. brian.